Success Stories: Amy’s Story

Amy came from a loving home with both parents and two siblings. She never
witnessed any violence growing up, and for the most part, she had a normal childhood. She was smart and excelled in school. After college, she went on to develop a successful career.

Although Amy seemed to have everything going for her, she was also facing some demons of her own, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. For the most part, she was able to live a normal life with the proper medication and regular sessions with her therapist. However, as with anyone, there were some low points in her life, and they made her particularly vulnerable.

During one of Amy’s low points, she met a man named Alex who made her feel good again. Alex was charming and successful. Soon after meeting,
they decided to move from Florida to Chicago. It wasn’t until Amy was settled into her new life in Chicago that things started to change. Alex
became controlling and wouldn’t allow Amy to work, isolating her so she had no one to turn to. This spiraled into severe emotional and verbal abuse
that made Amy lose track of who she was.

After five and a half years of abuse, Amy managed to find the courage to leave. She arrived at the Crisis Center for South Suburbia severely depressed, unable to interact with others and suffering from panic attacks. She was quickly assigned a case worker and signed up for counseling services to help her heal from her abuse.

Today, Amy is living independently in a Crisis Center transitional housing program.She was able to find a doctor and get back on her medication and continues to meet weekly with the shelter’s clinical counselors to address the trauma she endured. She has also obtained employment, begun saving money and has obtained a vehicle. However, Amy’s greatest accomplishment is by far the healing and inner-strength she developed with the support of the Crisis Center for South Suburbia.